Dr. Pusey writes an interesting and somewhat pathetic letter to
yesterday's Times, explaining how powerless he has always been to restrain the excesses of the extreme men of his party, for want even of an Archdeacon's dignity to give him the right to take a lead. "I had no office (such as an Archdeacon's) which entitled me to interfere with others, or to mind any vineyard but my own. I could say nothing publicly, without assuming to be what, I was not,—the head of a party. When I could, I urged toque ad nauseam any I could influence not to make any changes without having first won the people." " Young men then thought themselves more advanced then the veterans of 1833. I, for my part, thought that Phaeton was driving the chariot of the San ; but they had as much right to their opinion as I to mine, so they went their way, I held on mine." For our own parts, we regret very much that Dr. Pusey did not long ago receive some office of dignity in the Church of England. The principle of obstinate attach- ment to early, or, as he thinks, primitive Christian traditions, and the inveterate dislike to the " theory of development " which he has always betrayed, seem to us to be characteristic 'notes ' of the Reformed Catholic, though hardly of the Pro- testant Church ; and no comprehensive Church, intended to include all the parties who resisted Roman Catholic cor- ruptions, as ours was, should exclude a view like Dr. Pusey's. But we very much doubt if any office of dignity
in the Church would have enabled Hr. Pusey to exercise any more influence with Phaeton and his brother-coachmen, than he has actually exercised. The Ritualists have not in reality founded themselves on an historical view at all. The genius of their party is essentially florid, while the genius of the old Puseyites was essentially prudent and sober. As the ritualising Mr. Blenkinsop says, liturgical forms which are not " histrionic " are hardly forms of prayer at all. We venture to say Dr. Pusey would hardly understand such an assertion. Certainly neither Mr. Orby Shipley nor any other Phaeton of his school would have given up the reins to Dr. Pusey, had he been ever so much clothed with " archidiaconal functions."
Previous page
